There are 22 Regions (categories) and 96 Departments (posts) in France….many have rivers holding brown trout! A new 'challenge'!

I have fished the Verdon (with Guillaume Durand) once before, on a stretch below Castellane, so I looked forward to another day on this impressive river. We (Christophe Pironnie and I) were to meet at the Auberge du Point Sublime, near Rougon. It is justifiably named, for a short walk upwards reveals the majesty of the Gorge du Verdon, which puts Boxhill into perspective, as … Continue reading ALPES-DE-HAUTE-PROVENCE

Auvergne may be becoming my favourite Region in France. With elevations from around 600 feet to 2000 odd, it has varied terrain, but outwith its gorges, it is hilly rather than mountainous. Mainly deciduous, it also has massive acreage of coniferous forest near Thiers toward its South East border with the department of Loire, which was reminiscent of Vermont in the US. In sunshine … Continue reading Puy-de-Dome

My first sight of my second attempt on the Aa at Wavrans, found a river flowing full, fast, and a little coloured, the weather in NE France having matched much of that of the SE of England in recent days. But it was cold, too, and there was no sight of any fly life, or fish. I reasoned that the water might be a little … Continue reading PAS-DE-CALAIS

The road to St Martin Vesubie takes you up the Gorge du Vesubie. This is a narrow two lane road, used by trucks, coaches, tractors and cars, and the river flows many metres below. Riding through this ancient chasm, it feels as though you are on a narrow ledge, and you are, but French driving being what it is, it is nerve wracking at best, … Continue reading ALPES-MARITIMES

Scroll back to August 2013, for only my second fishing adventure from our Cote d’Azure home! My first, was with Guillaume (Durand) on the Gordalasque near Belvedere, and his help, encouraged me to fish with him again. So my second would be in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence which is where he happened to live…in the beautiful town of Castellane. The journey from Theoule, on a … Continue reading ALPES-DE-HAUTE-PROVENCE

So after a most enjoyable day with Bruno (Beusse) on the upper Loire the previous day, and after a super dinner of delicious regional cuisine at the Hotel du Nord, we set off over the hills toward the adjacent department of Haute-Loire, and a new Region, to boot. The drive was beautiful and I will repeat myself, with the assertion, that to many Brits, this … Continue reading HAUTE-LOIRE

In what I call euphemistically, my ‘Drive Down’ fishing tour, to deliver our poser car to our CdA bolt-hole for the Summer, the Correze was to be my first of three departments where I hoped to ‘net’ a French brownie, for the first time. The six hour drive from Calais found me at my overnight stay in Chateauroux in Indre, before a further three hour … Continue reading CORREZE

I am noting that where my first venture into a ‘department’ is unsuccessful, so my description of my experience is similarly, short. Funny that! So from this short piece, you already know the outcome! The Peche Nord-Pas de Calais webpages are helpful, as was an exchange I had with Jeremy Lucas. And it was off to Wavrans that I sped, hot from the Eurotunnel car … Continue reading Pas-de-Calais

After enjoying success in Correze, I had a three hour drive to Millau to hook up with my old chum, Pick (see Slovenia, and Pyrenees-Atlantique) where we were to stay, at the Cevenol Hotel in the centre of this bustling regional town, on the Dourbie. Catching up with chums is always fun. We dined well, sipped extremely well, compared what we had been up to … Continue reading Aveyron